Today, May 27, is Alex's birthday. How about saying happy birthday to her via the "comments" button with this post?
I believe Sye birthday is July 15. Maybe by then we'll figure out how to can add balloons and ribbons to the blog site.
Tuesday, May 27
Monday, May 26
People are AMAZING
So we made it, crawling, stumbling, and squinting into Wrightwood. Crawling, because I scraped all the skin off the bottom of my right foot. Stumbling, because we spent twenty miles climbing to approximately 8,500 feet. Squinting, because there was a snowstorm up here last Friday, and though we were not caught in it (we were, however, caught in pouring rain at a lower elevation and ended up taking refuge in the overhang to a pit toilet. We were there for hours, but that's another story), it has been soggy and completely socked in ever since, and we lost the trail twenty million times.
When we finally fumbled our way onto the highway we were miraculously scooped by a wonderful couple, Dolores and Harry. They took us back to thier house and proceeded to drape our soggy selves in silly robes and fluffy slippers while we did our laundry, tossed us into deliciously hot showers, and gave us each our own room to sleep in, both equipped with beds and blankets and real pillows. And they fed us dinner and desert and hot tea and breakfast and bacon and drove us back into Wrightwood the next day. They were amazing. Dolores even stuck our nasty, soggy shoes into the dryer and then put foot powder in them afterwards. Utterly amazing. I think I'd like to own a house sometime in the future for the sole purpose of scooping beleaguered soles and doing for them what Dolores and Harry did for us. They even had a bird book, and I found out that the beautiful orange and black birds we've been seeing are black headed grosbeaks.
This last stint from Big Bear City to Wrightwood has been a bit crazy. We were hit by crazy weather, spent half a day basking in hot springs (unfortunately this did not coincide with the rain and cold), passed not one, but two ridiculous dams, ate dinner inside some massive pipes (Sye kept calling it the Tube Farm), ate skittles and played poker with Duck the Do-Badder (he's one of our favorite trail mates), gorged ourselves at a McDonalds, and hopefully dodged shitloads of poison oak.
Thursday, May 22
WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE WALKIN by Piper McKenzie
WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE WALKIN'
for Sye and Alex, written and sung by Piper McKenzie,
on the day of their departure from Seattle for PCT, 2008
When you're out there walkin'
One foot in front of the next,
You better remember to stop and give
those city feet a rest.
When you're out there bakin' in the hot
summer sun, you better drink lots of water
cause passing out just ain't no fun.
When the quiet of the night leaves you
longing for home. Just remember we carry
you with us everywhere we go.
And your heart is a kingdom, big enough
to hold all the stars, yeah it's the biggest
place I've even been by far. So wherever
you roam, well there we are.
When you're out there walkin' getting new
names and blistered feet, you better have
this song stuck in your head upon repeat.
You'd better not forget to keep your socks dry.
You better remember we share one ceiling
of a sky. And don't forget to write.
When you're out there walkin' and the dark is
just too dark, light your little stove
with a little spark. Think about all the
people that hold you oh so dear, and how before
you know it they'll be screaming in
your ear.
Cause your heart is a kingdom
big enough to hold all the stars. Yeah it's
the biggest place I've ever been by far,
so wherever you roam, well there we are.
for Sye and Alex, written and sung by Piper McKenzie,
on the day of their departure from Seattle for PCT, 2008
When you're out there walkin'
One foot in front of the next,
You better remember to stop and give
those city feet a rest.
When you're out there bakin' in the hot
summer sun, you better drink lots of water
cause passing out just ain't no fun.
When the quiet of the night leaves you
longing for home. Just remember we carry
you with us everywhere we go.
And your heart is a kingdom, big enough
to hold all the stars, yeah it's the biggest
place I've even been by far. So wherever
you roam, well there we are.
When you're out there walkin' getting new
names and blistered feet, you better have
this song stuck in your head upon repeat.
You'd better not forget to keep your socks dry.
You better remember we share one ceiling
of a sky. And don't forget to write.
When you're out there walkin' and the dark is
just too dark, light your little stove
with a little spark. Think about all the
people that hold you oh so dear, and how before
you know it they'll be screaming in
your ear.
Cause your heart is a kingdom
big enough to hold all the stars. Yeah it's
the biggest place I've ever been by far,
so wherever you roam, well there we are.
Wednesday, May 21
More letters from the trail
Space Man Spiff writes:
5-7-08 Barrel Springs mi. 101
Haven't written for a few days, because man I've been tired! We reached the 100 mile mark and did 2 consecutive 25 mi days. Let me tell you how I felt today: like a lead puppet that had been thrown against a wall, stepped on, intoxicated and operated with rusty strings. Yup, I hurt! But now that I'm lying down under our tarp, in the wind, to the sound of incredibly small and loud frogs, I feel great. A few blisters, achy knees and feet, but we made it. Several times today I found myself in a laughing fit unable to walk because I was practically falling over...and you know what? My legs felt better. Laughing really does help out here.
So let me back track a minute: 2 days ago we were in Mt. Laguna waiting for the post office to open so we could pick up our package. A word of advice: The people at the store are very nice, but the P.O. is only open half days so I wouldn't send a package there if I'd known. We had a very short day of hiking that day and slept at a picnic area. Everyone we talked to the next day had experienced rain, even the ones camped at the same picnic area, but not us! Don't know if it was the tree above us, or our Seattle-ified perception of rain, but we slept out that night!
Yesterday, hiked 25+ miles from the picnic area to Scissors Crossing, a road intersection at the desert we hiked into last night. LONG day. Hot and steep hills, and long switchbacks. Hiked from 6am-8pm. A bunch of other folks welcomed us to camp, as it was dark. (It gets dark in just a few short minutes, at 8 pm every night.)
Today, another long day from 6am-7pm, but felt a little more manageable. Perhaps just getting used to it. In the middle of out hot day, came across a water cache that was full with water I relying upon, as I only wanted to carry 2 liters up the mountain on my sore knees. Sure am thankful for those Trail Angels who hike gallons + gallons of water up to the caches, or drop it off at the roads.
Apparently, we're known on the trail already. A couple introduced themselves to us when we arrived at Barrel Springs, saying they'd heard all about " you gals who can't be stopped once you get started." Hard to tell them that I don't like being called a gal or that people are probably just surprised we hike as far as some of the typical trail dudes. But we do start earlier than anyone else, it seems.
Speaking of which, here's a sample schedule of our day.
5:00 am-Wake up, or try to. We keep setting our watch alarms but can't hear them because they're lost somewhere in our sleeping bags. But we definitely wake up by 5:30 with the light.
5:30-6 am-Do many things at once: Pack up camp, tape blisters, brush teeth, eat a bar...
6 am-On the trail.
9 ish-Eat breakfast
1 ish-Eat lunch, hopefully at water
All day-Take breaks often to drink, eat, pee, tape feet, laugh at ourselves.
7 ish-Find camp, make food, try to write to you all.
8 or 9-Sleep!
Last night I think I saw a comet! And tonight, we're sleeping next to Brigit the horse, whose hooves we follow on the trail when she's ahead of us.
5-7-08 Barrel Springs mi. 101
Haven't written for a few days, because man I've been tired! We reached the 100 mile mark and did 2 consecutive 25 mi days. Let me tell you how I felt today: like a lead puppet that had been thrown against a wall, stepped on, intoxicated and operated with rusty strings. Yup, I hurt! But now that I'm lying down under our tarp, in the wind, to the sound of incredibly small and loud frogs, I feel great. A few blisters, achy knees and feet, but we made it. Several times today I found myself in a laughing fit unable to walk because I was practically falling over...and you know what? My legs felt better. Laughing really does help out here.
So let me back track a minute: 2 days ago we were in Mt. Laguna waiting for the post office to open so we could pick up our package. A word of advice: The people at the store are very nice, but the P.O. is only open half days so I wouldn't send a package there if I'd known. We had a very short day of hiking that day and slept at a picnic area. Everyone we talked to the next day had experienced rain, even the ones camped at the same picnic area, but not us! Don't know if it was the tree above us, or our Seattle-ified perception of rain, but we slept out that night!
Yesterday, hiked 25+ miles from the picnic area to Scissors Crossing, a road intersection at the desert we hiked into last night. LONG day. Hot and steep hills, and long switchbacks. Hiked from 6am-8pm. A bunch of other folks welcomed us to camp, as it was dark. (It gets dark in just a few short minutes, at 8 pm every night.)
Today, another long day from 6am-7pm, but felt a little more manageable. Perhaps just getting used to it. In the middle of out hot day, came across a water cache that was full with water I relying upon, as I only wanted to carry 2 liters up the mountain on my sore knees. Sure am thankful for those Trail Angels who hike gallons + gallons of water up to the caches, or drop it off at the roads.
Apparently, we're known on the trail already. A couple introduced themselves to us when we arrived at Barrel Springs, saying they'd heard all about " you gals who can't be stopped once you get started." Hard to tell them that I don't like being called a gal or that people are probably just surprised we hike as far as some of the typical trail dudes. But we do start earlier than anyone else, it seems.
Speaking of which, here's a sample schedule of our day.
5:00 am-Wake up, or try to. We keep setting our watch alarms but can't hear them because they're lost somewhere in our sleeping bags. But we definitely wake up by 5:30 with the light.
5:30-6 am-Do many things at once: Pack up camp, tape blisters, brush teeth, eat a bar...
6 am-On the trail.
9 ish-Eat breakfast
1 ish-Eat lunch, hopefully at water
All day-Take breaks often to drink, eat, pee, tape feet, laugh at ourselves.
7 ish-Find camp, make food, try to write to you all.
8 or 9-Sleep!
Last night I think I saw a comet! And tonight, we're sleeping next to Brigit the horse, whose hooves we follow on the trail when she's ahead of us.
Continuation of First Letter (Finally!)
[apologies to our little hikers and all their readers--we had a major computer crash, but here's the rest of their letter...]
May 4, 2008
Burnt Rancheria Campground
mi 42.3 8:47pm
Southern California, contrary to all guidebooks , weather reports, and old wives tales, is NOT warm.
Sye and I are huddled in our net tent with all our clothes and in our sleeping bags, and hats and gloves and sox and soxs on and it is WINDY and cold out there.
Today was another lazy day, because it was Sunday, and we went to church.
No, not really.
We're trying to pick up a resupply package in Mt. Laguna, which is 0.7mi away, and somehow we managed to time it so we'd arrive on a Sunday and the Post Office doesn't open 'till noon tomorrow.
So we're taking it slow tonight and tomorrow morning.
Today we met Darren, a bike messenger from San Fransisco, and Robin and her horse Bridget from Northern California, w all congregated at a "ford"--or rather a 12" wide ditch with running H20 in it. The water was exciting because it was the first in 12 mi or so.
I was thrilled to see a horse on the trail. We had seen Robin and Bridget at the Southern terminus in Campo, and had been following Bridget's tracks for the last 38 miles.
Robin had Bridget all loaded up with gear and was merrily following behind her steed, as she walked the trail in Keens with no backpack or water bottles or nothing.
It was when they stopped to drink that I was able to develop a special relationship with Bridget.
Bridget, after a little H20, and a little grazing did not want to cross that 12" stream. Robin was doing every thing in her power, clucking, tugging @ the lead rope, coming at the stream from different directions. But to no avail. What she needed was someone to "encourage" Bridget from behind, while she led her across. Enter ME. With a whip. I got to play the big bad boogie monster that's going to get you if you don't cross the stream.
I was thrilled. After 20 or 30 minutes Bridget finally gave up, and leaped across the creeklet. But only after I'd wholloped her rump a few times and chased her around the field more than a few times.
Aah, horses. They're so wonderful yet so stubborn.
Maybe I'll stick to Syes.
~Alex
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things Alex really likes:
- the feeling when your nose is clogged, and then it clears
- hummingbirds
- A sign: unlawful to throw snowballs at vehicles or occupants
- cookies
__________
5/5
I know the physical hardship of this walk will come, but right now we're happily chugging along. I think the most distressing part was the border -- seeing the huge black metal wall, the metal plaques with anti-Mexican immigrant sentiments, and signs leading up(?) in spanish warning folks of the dangers of the element. as if they didn't already know the dangers ahead. talked to another hiker who met a couple sitting at the border with binoculars, ready to turn folks in. and later at night, he heard people passing his tent. expected hikers, but looked out and saw a group practically running, nothing on them, no water, booking it through the night. seems ironic that we have friends in seattle at an immigrant's rights rally, and here we are faced with a completely different sentiment.
~Sye
May 4, 2008
Burnt Rancheria Campground
mi 42.3 8:47pm
Southern California, contrary to all guidebooks , weather reports, and old wives tales, is NOT warm.
Sye and I are huddled in our net tent with all our clothes and in our sleeping bags, and hats and gloves and sox and soxs on and it is WINDY and cold out there.
Today was another lazy day, because it was Sunday, and we went to church.
No, not really.
We're trying to pick up a resupply package in Mt. Laguna, which is 0.7mi away, and somehow we managed to time it so we'd arrive on a Sunday and the Post Office doesn't open 'till noon tomorrow.
So we're taking it slow tonight and tomorrow morning.
Today we met Darren, a bike messenger from San Fransisco, and Robin and her horse Bridget from Northern California, w all congregated at a "ford"--or rather a 12" wide ditch with running H20 in it. The water was exciting because it was the first in 12 mi or so.
I was thrilled to see a horse on the trail. We had seen Robin and Bridget at the Southern terminus in Campo, and had been following Bridget's tracks for the last 38 miles.
Robin had Bridget all loaded up with gear and was merrily following behind her steed, as she walked the trail in Keens with no backpack or water bottles or nothing.
It was when they stopped to drink that I was able to develop a special relationship with Bridget.
Bridget, after a little H20, and a little grazing did not want to cross that 12" stream. Robin was doing every thing in her power, clucking, tugging @ the lead rope, coming at the stream from different directions. But to no avail. What she needed was someone to "encourage" Bridget from behind, while she led her across. Enter ME. With a whip. I got to play the big bad boogie monster that's going to get you if you don't cross the stream.
I was thrilled. After 20 or 30 minutes Bridget finally gave up, and leaped across the creeklet. But only after I'd wholloped her rump a few times and chased her around the field more than a few times.
Aah, horses. They're so wonderful yet so stubborn.
Maybe I'll stick to Syes.
~Alex
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Things Alex really likes:
- the feeling when your nose is clogged, and then it clears
- hummingbirds
- A sign: unlawful to throw snowballs at vehicles or occupants
- cookies
__________
5/5
I know the physical hardship of this walk will come, but right now we're happily chugging along. I think the most distressing part was the border -- seeing the huge black metal wall, the metal plaques with anti-Mexican immigrant sentiments, and signs leading up(?) in spanish warning folks of the dangers of the element. as if they didn't already know the dangers ahead. talked to another hiker who met a couple sitting at the border with binoculars, ready to turn folks in. and later at night, he heard people passing his tent. expected hikers, but looked out and saw a group practically running, nothing on them, no water, booking it through the night. seems ironic that we have friends in seattle at an immigrant's rights rally, and here we are faced with a completely different sentiment.
~Sye
Tuesday, May 20
Letters From the Trail
Alex Writes:
May 10, 2008
Somewhere after Lost Valley Spring
mi. 121.5 8:29 pm
I've been motherfuckin sick. And not just some sore throat cold business, I'm talking, fever, chills, NO energy, sleep-all-day sick. That's what I did all day yesterday. Sleep. But I seem to be over the worst of it. I woke up this morning @ 8 and was rarin' to go. We hiked out of Warner Springs at 10 am and covered approximately 13 miles. Not too bad.
There's a lot I haven't written about. Like the blooming cacti we've been seeing for the past 60 miles, bright pink, yellow and green. Or the amazing grasslands we wandered through right before Warner Springs. They made me want to gallop a horse endlessly across them. The ever present equine excrement along the trail made me smile in particular, because it seems likely that someone has done just that.
We also discovered that the furry red ants we've been seeing aren't actually ants. They're wasps, and apparently these wasps have one of the most painful venoms. Good thing we didn't feel the need to pet them.
At Barrel Springs, our camping spot the day before we got into Warner Springs, we met Karen and Tex. I like them alot. They were camping nearby and came over to introduce themselves, claiming they'd heard of us, that we were the ones with small packs and speedy legs. I don't know who they were talking to, because our packs seem sorta heavy, and our pace is not really fast.But anyhow, Tex is real into stars, he's got a telescope at home that he sets up every night, says Karen, and he's got a starchart he's packing and he wants to show me some constellations.
I'm also not talking alot about Warner Springs. Mostly because I spent most of our 48 hr stay there in a bed, sweating every ounce of water out of me while shivering uncontrollably. Not Fun. Glad I was in a bed. The hot spring pool was incredible, though and it was fun to use the internet. Folks were real nice. I'd never been in a resort before, and it was a bit extravagant? Crazy? I don't know what word to use. I'm going to sleep now. The Moon is waxing and looks real pretty.
Alex
May 11, 2008
Somewhere off of a dirt road
"Sandy Deep Road" says the data book.
Mile 142.7 8:32 pm
The last couple days have been HOT. I can't tell how hot because I don't have a thermometer but my internal organs say motherfuckinHot. So hot that my standard liter/5 miles was nowhere near enough, and I was really thirsty by the time we made it to the spring about 2:30 pm. We camped out there for a couple hours, talked with other hikers, made some food, I mended a shirt, and rehydrated. We did 20 miles today, and I'm tired. We'll hit Palms to Pines highway tomorrow , and the Paradise Cafe for some grub, and hopefully find out if the remaining 30 + miles to Idyllwild is closed because of a recent fire, or if they've opened it.
The backs of my hands are burnt and now their sense of temp. is messed up. They feel icy right now.
Alex
Transcriber's Note: There was a squished tick indicated at the bottom of the page.
May 10, 2008
Somewhere after Lost Valley Spring
mi. 121.5 8:29 pm
I've been motherfuckin sick. And not just some sore throat cold business, I'm talking, fever, chills, NO energy, sleep-all-day sick. That's what I did all day yesterday. Sleep. But I seem to be over the worst of it. I woke up this morning @ 8 and was rarin' to go. We hiked out of Warner Springs at 10 am and covered approximately 13 miles. Not too bad.
There's a lot I haven't written about. Like the blooming cacti we've been seeing for the past 60 miles, bright pink, yellow and green. Or the amazing grasslands we wandered through right before Warner Springs. They made me want to gallop a horse endlessly across them. The ever present equine excrement along the trail made me smile in particular, because it seems likely that someone has done just that.
We also discovered that the furry red ants we've been seeing aren't actually ants. They're wasps, and apparently these wasps have one of the most painful venoms. Good thing we didn't feel the need to pet them.
At Barrel Springs, our camping spot the day before we got into Warner Springs, we met Karen and Tex. I like them alot. They were camping nearby and came over to introduce themselves, claiming they'd heard of us, that we were the ones with small packs and speedy legs. I don't know who they were talking to, because our packs seem sorta heavy, and our pace is not really fast.But anyhow, Tex is real into stars, he's got a telescope at home that he sets up every night, says Karen, and he's got a starchart he's packing and he wants to show me some constellations.
I'm also not talking alot about Warner Springs. Mostly because I spent most of our 48 hr stay there in a bed, sweating every ounce of water out of me while shivering uncontrollably. Not Fun. Glad I was in a bed. The hot spring pool was incredible, though and it was fun to use the internet. Folks were real nice. I'd never been in a resort before, and it was a bit extravagant? Crazy? I don't know what word to use. I'm going to sleep now. The Moon is waxing and looks real pretty.
Alex
May 11, 2008
Somewhere off of a dirt road
"Sandy Deep Road" says the data book.
Mile 142.7 8:32 pm
The last couple days have been HOT. I can't tell how hot because I don't have a thermometer but my internal organs say motherfuckinHot. So hot that my standard liter/5 miles was nowhere near enough, and I was really thirsty by the time we made it to the spring about 2:30 pm. We camped out there for a couple hours, talked with other hikers, made some food, I mended a shirt, and rehydrated. We did 20 miles today, and I'm tired. We'll hit Palms to Pines highway tomorrow , and the Paradise Cafe for some grub, and hopefully find out if the remaining 30 + miles to Idyllwild is closed because of a recent fire, or if they've opened it.
The backs of my hands are burnt and now their sense of temp. is messed up. They feel icy right now.
Alex
Transcriber's Note: There was a squished tick indicated at the bottom of the page.
Monday, May 19
Sye and Alex in Big Bear, CA
Got a call from Alex today! They are in Big Bear, CA a place that apparently is not as intimidating as it sounds. They are doing well. Alex is over her strep-like symptoms, although Sye’s knee is protesting a bit.
Taking the trip through their stories, I am amazed by the vastness of the land outside of California’s cities. Here they are walking through whole mountain ranges: the Santa Rosas, San Jacintos, San Bernadinos…a lot of saints. Alex liked particularly a 30-mile stretch in the San Jacintos that was supposed to be closed due to a recent fire. They went anyway, walking one 10-mile stretch along a ridge top that must have felt like dancing along the sky.
When I get into the mountains, even for a day, everything seems profound yet giddy and wonderful. I can only imagine what being on the trail for three weeks is like. I could hear Alex’s deep satisfaction with it all. Already they have walked about 10% of the PCT.
Taking the trip through their stories, I am amazed by the vastness of the land outside of California’s cities. Here they are walking through whole mountain ranges: the Santa Rosas, San Jacintos, San Bernadinos…a lot of saints. Alex liked particularly a 30-mile stretch in the San Jacintos that was supposed to be closed due to a recent fire. They went anyway, walking one 10-mile stretch along a ridge top that must have felt like dancing along the sky.
When I get into the mountains, even for a day, everything seems profound yet giddy and wonderful. I can only imagine what being on the trail for three weeks is like. I could hear Alex’s deep satisfaction with it all. Already they have walked about 10% of the PCT.
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